Fresh questions over the control and protection of Federal Government properties in Lagos have emerged following allegations of a face-off between Federal officials enforcing coastal highway reservations and officials of the Lagos State Government.
The development centres on disputed properties in parts of Eti-Osa, including Kuramo, Victoria Island, Mayegun Coastal Road and Ilasan, where a Federal Government task force is reportedly carrying out activities linked to the recovery and protection of Federal lands and enforcement of the approved Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway setback.
A concerned citizen, Ismaila Alimi, who raised the alarm in a statement dated September 10, 2026, alleged that Lagos State officials and security personnel moved into some of the locations where the Federal task force was operating, raising concerns over the boundaries of Federal and state authority.
Alimi alleged that the September 4 operation involved officials including members of the Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Task Force, the Office of the Special Adviser on eGIS and Urban Development and the Lagos State Building Control Agency.
He further alleged that the officials sought the head of the Federal task force, identified as Mr Boomelin, while personnel attached to the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation were allegedly threatened or intimidated.
According to him, the situation escalated on September 7 when Lagos officials allegedly returned to some of the affected locations, entered portions of the disputed properties and erected real-estate billboards despite the presence of Federal task force personnel and their security arrangements.
Alimi argued that the allegations, if established, could raise a broader constitutional issue beyond the immediate land dispute, particularly concerning the authority of Federal agencies over Federal reservations and the Right-of-Way of a Federal infrastructure project.
He therefore called for clarification over the alleged position that the Federal Government does not own land in Lagos State and that Federal land is vested in the state governor, saying such a claim, if accurately reported, should be subjected to legal and administrative clarification.
The concerned citizen said the Federal intervention was reportedly driven by concerns over alleged encroachment, questionable documentation, multiple title claims, unauthorised allocations, land grabbing and possible mismanagement of government properties.
Rather than allowing the dispute to degenerate into a confrontation, Alimi urged the relevant authorities to verify ownership documents, survey boundaries and coastal highway reservations through the appropriate government institutions.
He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene, asking the Federal Government to investigate the alleged deployment of security personnel against officers operating under Federal authority and ensure that personnel attached to the Surveyor-General’s office are protected while carrying out their duties.
Alimi also urged the Surveyor-General of the Federation to undertake a comprehensive verification and demarcation of the affected properties, while calling for a suspension of further construction, occupation, demolition or advertisement on the disputed sites until their status is established.
He maintained that Lagos remained an integral part of Nigeria and that the dispute should be resolved through the constitutional and statutory responsibilities of the two levels of government rather than confrontation.
He appealed to residents and other stakeholders to remain calm while the relevant authorities investigate the allegations and determine the legal status of the properties and the powers exercised by each side.
